Immortality Cultivation

Fang Hao emerged from that hellish place, Thunderclap Ravine, feeling like a completely different person. The charred, dead skin that had covered him had mostly peeled away, revealing fresh skin with a bronze luster that looked incredibly sturdy. He clenched his fist, and his knuckles cracked with a pop. He felt an inexhaustible surge of power, as if he could smash half a mountain with a single punch. After being struck by lightning in the Thunder Valley for a month, it was as if he had been reborn. The first stage of the Hundred Refinements Golden Body Art was finally complete, and his Physical Body strength had skyrocketed. Now, relying solely on his physique, he could likely withstand Spells from an Early Golden Core Stage Cultivator without much trouble.

He changed into clean clothes, loosened his joints, identified his direction, and flew once more toward the heaven-reaching pagoda at the very center of the Secret Realm. This time, he felt much more confident; with a stronger Physical Body, his ability to survive had increased.

The closer he flew to the center, the more traces of Cultivators he encountered. He often saw the chaotic aftermath of battles or sensed the light of other Cultivators from afar. Everyone tacitly avoided each other, focused solely on their journey. The atmosphere was noticeably more tense, carrying the feeling of the calm before a storm.

After flying for about three or four days, a blurry black dot finally appeared on the horizon ahead. As the distance closed, the black dot grew larger and larger, eventually transforming into an indescribably towering giant pagoda! The entire pagoda was pitch black, crafted from unknown Materials, soaring into the clouds. He couldn’t even see the top; it seemed to pierce directly into the firmament! The pagoda exuded an ancient, vast, and heart-stopping pressure. Even from a distance, he felt his breathing become labored.

Good heavens... is this the heaven-reaching pagoda? Fang Hao landed on a massive plaza in front of the pagoda and tilted his head back, staring in astonishment. This pagoda was simply too huge! A person standing below it looked like an ant! A faint, distorted halo of light shrouded the pagoda—evidently a powerful Restriction—and the two massive stone doors at the entrance were tightly shut, covered in incomprehensible runes.

Quite a few people had already gathered on the plaza; a rough count put it at at least fifty or sixty. Fang Hao crouched in an inconspicuous corner at the edge of the plaza, quietly scanning with his Clear Spring Spirit Eyes, and his heart skipped a beat.

Good grief! There were so many people! And... there were too many people from the Mu Family!

In the center of the plaza stood a massive crowd, easily over thirty people, all dressed in luxurious, fine clothing, exuding extraordinary auras. Surrounded by the others were several young men and women in bright yellow attire with particularly distinguished bearings. Judging by their posture and presence, who else could they be but Disciples of the Mu Family, the imperial clan of the Mingling Empire?

Damn it, did they move the imperial palace here? Fang Hao cursed inwardly. These princes and princesses probably treated the Secret Realm like their own backyard, showing up in a whole swarm! He quickly lowered his head, blending into the crowd of Loose Cultivators and Disciples from small sects, terrified of being recognized. He hadn’t forgotten that he had slaughtered that third prince; if he were targeted by the main force of the Mu Family, ten lives wouldn’t be enough to save him.

Aside from the Mu Family, there were several other factions present. The people from the West Province’s Heavenly Sword Sect were there too; familiar faces like Soaring Wind and Nether Child stood to one side, their auras even stronger than before, likely having had their own Opportunities in the Secret Realm. There were seven or eight people from the Thunder Sword Sect of Jizhou, though he didn’t see Liu Yunfeng and his group; they might not have arrived yet or had met with an accident. A few from the Green Wood Sect of Liangzhou had also arrived, but Mu Wanqing was nowhere to be seen. There were other Cultivators in the attire of various Sects standing in groups of three or five. The Loose Cultivators and those from small sects were scattered around the perimeter of the plaza, their eyes alert, like frightened rabbits.

The atmosphere on the entire plaza was subtle. The Mu Family members gathered together, chatting and laughing, appearing very relaxed, with an underlying sense of controlling the entire scene. The members of other large Sects huddled in their own groups, keeping their distance from one another, their gazes exchanging scrutiny. As for the Loose Cultivators, they didn’t dare to breathe too loudly, terrified of provoking someone they shouldn’t.

Fang Hao huddled in the crowd, listening to the discussions around him.

I heard this heaven-reaching pagoda is a Trial Grounds left behind by ancient experts, full of Opportunities, but the danger is immense!

Indeed, every time the Secret Realm opens, few can enter the pagoda, and even fewer come out alive!

See that? The Ninth Princess of the Mu Family is here too! I heard she obtained the star soul of the sword and her strength has surged!

Soaring Wind from the Heavenly Sword Sect also seems to have comprehended Sword Intent; he’s not to be trifled with...

When will the pagoda door open? I’m dying of impatience!

Fang Hao pricked up his ears, gathering fragmented information. It seemed that one couldn’t just enter the heaven-reaching pagoda at will; there were likely conditions or a specific timing. He swept his gaze over the Mu Family group and, sure enough, saw Mu Fenghua. She stood among the princes and princesses, her expression calm, her aura restrained, but Fang Hao could feel that the star Sword Intent on her was even more refined; it seemed she had gained quite a bit.

He saw Soaring Wind again. This guy was hugging his sword, closing his eyes to rest, the sharp Sword Intent on him flickering in and out; he was indeed much stronger than he had been during the martial tournament. Nether Child stood to one side with a sinister look, scanning the crowd, probably plotting something malicious.

So many experts... Fang Hao sighed inwardly, feeling immense pressure. Compared to these heaven’s favorites, his own Opportunities didn’t seem like much. He touched the forming golden core and star core inside his storage ring, then felt the surging blood and the trace of nascent Sword Intent within his body, which made him feel a little more secure. If he couldn’t beat them, he could at least run, right?

He waited for another half day. During this time, a dozen more people arrived, and there were nearly seventy or eighty Cultivators gathered on the plaza. The sky gradually darkened, and the Restriction halo around the heaven-reaching pagoda began to fluctuate slightly, seemingly changing.

Suddenly, the pagoda shook! The complex runes on the tightly shut stone doors lit up one by one, emitting a soft radiance! A powerful spatial fluctuation emanated from within the doors!

The pagoda is opening! someone exclaimed!

Everyone’s spirits lifted, and they stared intently at the pagoda doors!

Hum—!

With a low hum, the two massive stone doors slowly opened inward, revealing a gap! A more concentrated and pure ancient Spiritual Qi surged out from the crack!

Charge! someone shouted, and a few impatient Loose Cultivators immediately transformed into streaks of light, rushing toward the pagoda doors!

However, the moment they approached within a hundred zhang of the stone doors, the Restriction halo around the pagoda flared brightly! An invisible, immense force exploded outward!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Those Loose Cultivators collided with an invisible wall and were sent flying back even faster, vomiting blood as they crashed heavily to the ground, clearly having suffered serious injuries!

Idiots! Do you think the heaven-reaching pagoda is a place you can just barge into? A young man in luxurious clothing from the Mu Family camp scoffed disdainfully.

Everyone felt a chill in their hearts, realizing that although the pagoda door had opened, it clearly wasn’t accessible to just anyone! There were likely other Restrictions!

Just then, a line of huge golden ancient characters appeared above the pagoda door:

Bone age under fifty, Golden Core Stage may enter. Violators will have their Divine Soul destroyed!

Below the golden characters, there was also a complex, slowly rotating rune that emitted a detection aura.

Upon seeing this line of text, an uproar and sighs erupted across the plaza!

What? Bone age under fifty? And must be at the Golden Core Stage?

I’m only at Great Perfection Foundation Establishment! Just a little bit off!

My bone age exceeds the limit! Sigh!

Many older or insufficiently cultivated Cultivators immediately wore expressions of despair. This condition directly filtered out more than half the people!

Fang Hao, however, felt a sense of relief. Bone age under fifty? He was not yet thirty this year, more than enough. Golden Core Stage? He had just had his Breakthrough. The conditions were met!

He looked toward the Mu Family side and saw that most of the Mu Family Disciples looked relaxed, evidently meeting the conditions. The Core Disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect, Thunder Sword Sect, and other large Sects basically all met the requirements. Among the Loose Cultivators and small sects, those who met the criteria were pitifully few; including Fang Hao, there were only about a dozen.

It seems the competition in this pagoda will be a true battle of Dragons... Fang Hao’s eyes became serious. Not a single person standing here was easy to deal with!